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Home » Recipes » Seafood Appetizers

Little Plates – Grilled Shrimp, Stuffed Mushrooms and Bruschetta

Published: Jan 5, 2013 · Modified: Jun 19, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

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You’ll love my Little Plates!

One thing I can say with certainty is that we definitely eat better than we did before I started blogging. Now I’m not saying that being a chef and the one doing all of the cooking at home that we didn’t eat well, but lets just say we didn’t eat quite as adventurously. That being said, every now and then we  have to take a little break, and eat a little lighter.

Now that doesn’t mean it has to be boring or not as delicious, it just means we cut back a bit. For us what it means is eating in more of a European fashion,  and for this dinner that meant “Little Plates”  or Tapas.

tomato and gorgonzola bruschetta on a white plate

We started the night with a very simple but oh so tasty little plate of Bruschetta. A very simple dish consisting of toasted bread lightly oiled and rubbed with garlic, topped with chopped tomatoes, basil and gorgonzola picante crumbles.

One of the great things about having a good source for cheese is being able to get a nice variety of artisan imported cheese. I do have to admit that until recently I never knew there were different types of gorgonzola cheese. I don’t know what category the generic variety we get at local supermarkets is closest to,  but Picante or Mountain which is aged longer and has a more pronounced flavor is definitely a much better product! And then there’s Dolce which is creamy and an almost spreadable version of gorgonzola, aged for 3 months with a milder sweeter flavor.

grilled u-peel shrimp on white paper with a half a lemon and bowl of cocktail sauce

We then moved on to another simply prepared dish,  grilled shrimp. Lightly oiled and seasoned with old bay, grilled for just a few minutes on each side and served with tangy cocktail sauce. I always use the shell on variety, which keeps the shrimp a little moister and adds to the fun of eating them. Not to mention that they look great with the shell on them!

mushrooms stuffed with crab imperial on a white plate on top of yellow napkin

But we finished up the meal with what was always one of the best selling appetizers in any of the restaurants I worked in and that was mushrooms stuffed with crab imperial. I’ll let you in on my secret for adding a little more flavor to this dish and that is to add a little marsala wine in the baking dish, the mushrooms will soak up that extra flavor and be exceptional!

u peel shrimp

Little Plates

Chef Dennis Littley
any of these appetizers would be a delicious way to start a meal. Make all three and you have a party!
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Listen to the Post
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 129 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 8 medium to large mushroom caps
  • 3 ounces lump or claw crab meat
  • ½ teaspoon finely chopped Italian parsley
  • ½ teaspoon finely chopped red peppers
  • 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon old bay
  • 1 ounce marsala wine

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl mix together, the mayonnaise, parsley, peppers, sugar, old bay and egg yolk. Blend well, this is your imperial sauce
  • Add imperial sauce to crab meat and fold together gently.
  • Pull stem our of mushroom cap, using a knife to clean out any pieces of the stem that might have stuck.
  • Cut a little off the bottom of the mushroom so it sits flat
  • Fill mushroom caps with crab imperial mixture mounding on top of the cap
  • Place in baking dish, and pour marsala wine in the bottom of the baking dish
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes

Nutrition

Calories: 129kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 8gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 240mgPotassium: 655mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 84IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askchefdennis or tag #askchefdennis!

Comments

    5 from 4 votes

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Freya says

    March 08, 2022 at 10:54 am

    5 stars
    This just looks absolutely delicious and straightforward to make too! The perfect dish for summer!

    Reply
  2. anne says

    January 07, 2013 at 6:08 pm

    We always say that we eat better now too, although we never eat the same thing twice 🙂

    Reply
  3. Louise says

    January 06, 2013 at 4:48 pm

    That’s a great idea for stuffed mushrooms – what does the marsala wine do? Keep the mushrooms moist and add some flavor? Could it be replaced with something like chicken or vegetable broth?

    Reply
    • Chef D says

      January 06, 2013 at 5:01 pm

      hi Louise, yes you could substitute stock for the wine, it just gives the mushrooms some flavor and helps them from drying out.

      Reply
  4. Betty Ann @Mango_Queen says

    January 06, 2013 at 11:16 am

    5 stars
    What a great idea from such simple ingredients! Thanks for sharing, Chef Dennis! I’ll definitely try this soon.

    Reply
  5. Joan Nova says

    January 06, 2013 at 9:48 am

    That’s my favorite way of eating … off it revolves around leftover vegetables, cheese and a chunk of bread.

    Reply
  6. Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says

    January 06, 2013 at 9:24 am

    oooh Bruschetta is my favorite to make and enjoy at home 🙂

    Reply
  7. Jen @ Savory Simple says

    January 06, 2013 at 9:12 am

    They all sound fabulous!

    Reply
  8. Happy Ramblings says

    January 06, 2013 at 4:32 am

    5 stars
    What a perfect meal of all things that I like! My mouth is watering. I will be making the Bruschetta for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for giving me the idea. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

    January 06, 2013 at 12:09 am

    I love tapas dinners, everything looks scrumptious!

    Reply
  10. Kristina says

    January 05, 2013 at 11:47 pm

    5 stars
    we love tapas dinners here, too, and simple dinners. sometimes that means a bottle of wine, a baguette, and a brie.

    everything here looks fantastic – I love the sound of the (marsala’d) mushrooms!

    cheers!

    Reply
  11. Liz @ YUM at first bite says

    January 05, 2013 at 11:45 pm

    I love stuffed mushrooms and can’t wait to try these. Bruschetta is another favorite and I also add the Gorgonzola. Next time, try adding some small cubes of Avocado with all the other ingredients. Soooo good!

    Reply
  12. Mary says

    January 05, 2013 at 10:59 pm

    Those stuffed mushrooms sound fantastic. I love everything about these tapas.

    Reply


My name is Chef Dennis Littley, creator and owner of Ask Chef Dennis Productions. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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